Constant pressure wringer



Sept. ,28, 1943. N. L ETTEN CONSTANT PRESSURE WRINGER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Nav. 24, 1939 Sept. 2, 1943 N, ETTEN ,39,

CONSTANT PRESSURE WRINGER Filed Nov. 24. 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept 2,1943., N. L. ETTEN consum rREssuRE wRINcTER Filed Nov. 24, 1939 5Sheets-Sheet 5 N. L. ETTEN CONSTANT PRESSURE WRINGER www@ 5Shee'ts-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 24, 1939 l w j W @ZZ/ifi em 2%, w43. N. LETTEN 33mm CONSTANT PRESSURE WRINGER Filed Nov. 24. T939 5 Sheets-Sheet5 mi fa; W Y

Patented Sept. .28, 1943 UNIED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONSTANT PRESSUREWRINGER Nicholas L. Etten, Waterloo, Iowa Application November 24, 1939,Serial No. 305,820

7 Claims.

This invention relates to washing machine wringers and more particularlyto a new and improved constant pressure wringer wherein the operatingpressure between the rolls is substantially constant irrespective of thethickness of materials being passed between the rolls.

In the prior art it has been customary to provide wringers with anemergency release mechanism so designed that in the event the operatorshould be accidentally caught, the spring pressure between the rollswould be released by the operation of some manual trip lever or similardevice.V

These mechanisms have varied in details of design and structure, buthave never been completely satisfactory since they must of necessityrely upon some act of the operator to actuate the release mechanism, andsince they have heretofore served only to release the operating pressurefrom the rolls, but have not caused the rolls themselves to activelywithdraw from engagement with each other in order to permit the operatorto remove her hand or arm in case it has come between the rolls.

Also, in the prior art, certain release mechanisms were provided whichwere designed to cause the rolls to be released whenever the rolls wereforced apart to an abnormal degree, as, for instance, in case theoperators arms should be caught between the rolls. While these devicesare not without merit, the fact remains that in conventional typewringers, whenever the rolls have been forced apart suficiently toactuate such release mechanisms, the pressure spring associated with therolls will have been compressed to such a 'degree as to exert atremendous pressure capable of crushing the flesh and even the bones ofthe operators hand, with the result that the operator may becomeseriously injured before the automatic release is actuated.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide awringer wherein the operating pressure effective between the wringerrolls remains relatively constant irrespective of the thickness ofmaterials being passed between the rolls.

Another object of the invention is to provide a constant pressurewringer, as described above, in which the pressure effective on therolls is automatically released whenever the rolls are separated a.predetermined distance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wringer includingmeans whereby the wringer rolls may be caused to actively withdraw fromengagement with each other and move into extreme spaced relationship.

Another object of the invention is to provide a constant pressurewringer including means to cause the rolls to actively withdraw fromeach other under spring tension and manually operated means effective tore-establish pressure relationship between the rolls.

Another object is to provide a wringer including a pair of relativelymovable rolls and spring members acting at right angles to the ath ofmovement of the rolls, whereby the rolls may be normally urged intopressure engagement and may under emergency conditions be activelyforced into extreme spaced relationship.

These objects are accomplished in the present invention by providing arelatively stationary lower roll and an upper roll journaled in bearingsslidably mounted for vertical movement in suitable bearing slides. Thebearings on which this upper roll is mounted are also connected to thecenter point of a toggle joint extending generally horizontally andbeing provided with pressure springs adapted to force the outer pivotsof the toggle joint toward each other. These outer pivots are mounted insuch a position that in the normal operation of the machine the togglejoint assumes a V-shaped position at which time the force exerted by thepressure springs is effective to force the upper roll downwardly intopressure engagement with the lower roll. However, in case that materialsor objects vof extreme thickness are passed between the rolls, the upperroll will be raised to such an extent that the center point of thetoggle ailixed to the bearing of the upper roll will move across thecenter line estac- 'nshed between the two end pivots of the togglejoints. When this occurs, it is obvious that the force exerted by thepressure spring will be reversed and will act upwardly on the upper rollto actively force the upper roll away from engaging contact with thelower roll. In fact it will be noted that the pressure'sprngs exerttheir extreme leverage when the rolls are in contact and that as therolls are forced apart this leverage is reduced in such a manner thatthe pressure between the rolls does not build up to extremes, butremains at a substantially constant level irrespective of the spacing ofthe rolls. In practice this means thatin the event that the operatorsarm should become caughty between the pressure rolls of the wringer, therolls will be forced apart until the toggle joint crosses the center,after which the pressure springs will snap the upper roll upwardly awayfrom the lower roll a suiiicient distance that the operator may easilywithdraw her arm.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in rwhich I haveillustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of the present preferred form ofwringer in operating position;

Fig. 2 is a. longitudinal sectional view similar to Fig. 1, exceptshowing the parts of the wringer in released position;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the planeof the line 3--3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the planeof the line 4-4 in Fig. 2, illustrating the several parts of the wringerstructure in released position;

Fig. 5 is a plan sectional view of the outer end frame of the Wringerand is taken substantially on the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a plan sectional view similar to Fig. 5, with the springsshown in compressed position.

The wringer frame Ill may be constructed in any desired manner, but ispreferably formed of a pair of channel-shaped vertical bearing slidewaysII and I2, joined at their lower extremities by a bottom channel I3 andenclosed by the end housings I4 and I5. The top frame I6 extends betweenthese end housings I4 and I5, while the drain boards I'I and I8 areailixed on each side of the rwringer structure to complete the frame.These several frame members are preferably formed of sheet metal andunited by Welding, but the exact structure illustrated in the drawingsis intended to be illustrative only, and the frame may be constructed inany manner commonly used in the art.

'Ihe entire wringer is supported on a power head 2| including a sleeve22 adapted to be mounted on a pivotal mounting, such as is customarilyprovided for the purpose on any Washing machine. A drive shaft 23carried within the sleeve 22 is adapted to be engaged and driven by anysuitable power devices customarily provided on a washing machine. Thisdrive shaft carries a pair of reversing gears 24 and 25 slidably mountedon the shaft 23 and so arranged as to be shifted longitudinally of theshaft by the yoke 26 in such a manner that the driven gear 21 may berotatably driven in either forward or reverse direction, according tothe position of a reversing control handle (not shown), which serves torotate the control shaft 28 and move the yoke 26 to shift the gears 24and 25 longitudinally along the drive shaft 23.

The entire wringer frame I is supported on the power head 2I in anyconvenient manner, as, for example, by the screws 29 which penetrate theend walls of the end housing I and are threaded into bosses formed onthe power head.

The roll shaft 3| of the lower wringer roll 32 is journaled for rotationln the bearing blocks 33 and 34 carried in the bearing slideways II andI2, respectively. The bearing block 34 is a xed bearing maintained instationary position within the slideway I2 by means of the cross pin 34,but the bearing block 33 is pivotally mounted upon a cross pin 36 inorder that it may pivot'around this cross pin 36 between the operatingposition, as shown in Fig. 1, and a released position illustrated inFig. 2. By comparison of the Figs/1 and 2, it will be appreciated thatwhen the lower roll 32 is being urged downwardly by the spring pressureof the Wringer, the bearing block 33 willassume the position shown inFig. 1, and the metal flange 31 will bear against the left-hand end ofthe roll shaft 3I in-such a manner that the roll shaft is maintained inoperating position with the cross pin 38 at the right-hand end of theroll shaft in operative engagement with the notches 39- cut in the hub4I of the driven gear 21. This hub 4I is counter-bored to provide arecess for a roll stop spring 42, which remains in compressed positionduring the normal operation of the wringer, but which serves to move thelower roll to the left and to disengage the power driven connection tothe wringer rolls whenever the spring pressure between the rolls isreleased. The structures thus far described are well understood in theart and since they do not constitute the essence of this invention, theywill .not be described in greater detail.

The upper roll 52 of the wringer is mounted for relative movement withrespect to the lower roll 32 and to this end the upper roll shaft 5I isjournaled in the slidable bearing blocks 53 and 54 positioned within thevertical bearing slideways I I and I2, respectively. Each of thesebearing blocks 53 and 54 is arranged for vertical movement in thebearing slideways and is urged downwardly to bring the upper roll 52into pressure engagement with the lower roll 32 by a pair of identicalpressure spring mechanism positioned at each end of the wringer frame.It will `be seen in Fig. 2 that each of the bearings 53 and 54 carries arivet 55 rigidly fixed to the bearing and adapted to extend through avertical slot 56 in the wall of the bearing slideway and engage one endof each of a pair of toggle links 5l and 58 (Fig. 3) to act as a centerpivot for these toggle links. The outer ends of the toggle links 5l and58 are mounted on pivotal studs 6I and 62 riveted to the springsupporting arms 63 and 54, respectively.

These spring supporting arms 63 and 64 are pivotally joined adjacenttheir lower ends by a rivet 65 and are urged together at their upperends by coiled compression springs to be hereinafter described. The arms63 are each provided with an extension 66 anchored to a stud `69 on oneof the cranks 6l carried by the longitudinal reset shaft 68 (Fig. 2).The shaft 68 is journaled for rocking movement in bearings II and 'I2riveted in the walls of the vertical bearing slideways II and I2,respectively, and extends outwardly through an orice 'I3 in the end Wallof the end housing I4. In the normal operation of the machine, the shaft68 is locked in stationary position with the cranks 61 in the positionillustrated in the drawings, by means of a reset lever 14 which issecured to the outer end of the shaft 68, as, for example, by a screw'I5 (Fig. 1). The reset lever 'I4 normally is latched in stationaryvertical position between a stop member 'I6 (Figs. 5 and 6) stamped fromthe wall of the end housing I4, and a. spring latch tooth 'Il mounted ona leaf spring latch support 18.

'I'he leaf spring latch support 'I8 is secured to the inside wall of theend housing I4 in any convenient manner, as, for example, by means ofthe rivets 19, and extends upwardly into the top frame I6 in order thatan inclined operating portion 8l of the spring 'I8 may assume a positionin operative relationship with a manual release bar 82. The release bar82 is plvotally mounted on a cross pin 83 riveted in the walls of thetop housing |6 by means of a pair of ears 84 formed integrally, with therelease bar. A large perforation 85 is formed in the upper surface ofthe top frame |6 in order that a handle portion 86 of the release bar 82may project upwardly therethrough to assume a convenient'position formanual operation, and a spring 81 is carried by the spring pilot 88 toact upwardly against therelease bar 82 and retain this bar ininoperative position unless the handle portion 86 is manually depressed.

In the event that the operator desires to release the pressure effectivebetween the rolls 32 and 52, she may depress the handle portion 86 of`the release bar 82 to pvot the bar 82 around the pivot point 83 andmove the operating portion4 89 downwardly into engagement with theoperating portion 8| of the leaf spring latch support 18, The angularrelationship between the portions 89 and 8| will cause the leaf spring88 to flex inwardly and withdraw the latch tooth 11 from engagement withthe wall of 'the reset lever 14. When thus released, the reset lever 14may swing downwardly under the influence of the pressure springs 95 and96 (Figs. 5 and 6), which act through the spring supporting arms 63 and64 to constantly urge the reset shaft 68 to rotation in a clockwisedirection, as viewed in the drawings.

Each of the spring supporting arms 63 and 64 includes an upper endportion extending at right angles to the body of the spring supportingarm to provide a pair of opposed pressure spring seats 9| and 92 (seeFig. 5). Each of these spring seats is perforated at 93 to accommodate aspring pilot 94 on which a pair of coiled compression springs 95 and 96are mounted. These compression springs are secured on the spring pilot94V by flanged head portions 91` and 98 threaded on each end ofthe pilot94, and in order to provide for adjustment of the pressure fords aconnection to force the upper roll 52 downwardly into cooperatingpressure engagement with the lower roll 32 (see Fig. 43).

Whenever clothes are passed between the wringer rolls 32 and 52, theupper roll 52 will be displaced upwardly to a certain extent and willmove the bearings 53 and 54 vertically in the slideways to raise thecenter pivot 55 of the toggle-joint and force the outer pivots 6| and 52further apart against the resilient pressure exerted by the coiledcompression springs 95 and 96. As these compression springs 95 and 96are compressed by the outward movementA of the spring supporting arms 63and 64, it is obvious that they will exert a greater pressure tending toforce the spring seats 9| and 92 together, but the mechanicalcharacteristics of a toggle joint are such that the mechanical advantageexisting between the spring and the roll is a variable factor and as thecenter pivot 55 moves upwardly and approaches the dead center linebetween the end pivots 6| and 62, the mechanical springs 95 and 96, theopposite ends of the pilot 94 are threaded with right-hand and left-handpitch screw threads threaded into flanged head portions 91 and 98. Theend ilange of each of these spring pilot heads is preferably of somewhatrectangular shape and of such dimensions that it cannot rotate but willbe maintained in xed angular position in a vertical channel deiined bythe wall portions IDI and |02 of the end housings. Each end of thespring pilot 94 is provided with a screw driver slot |63, which -may bereached by passing a screw driver through one of the openings |64 in theend housing in order that the pressure of the wringer may be adjusted.The arrangement is such that when the spring pilot 94 is rotated, thepilot heads 91 and 98 will be restrained against rotary movement by thewalls |0| and |02, so that the spring pilot and its head portions willcooperate to act as a turn buckle to simultaneously adjust the pressureof each of the coiled compression springs 95 and 96.

In the operation of the mechanism, the pressure springs 95 and 96 willforce the spring seats 9| and 92 toward each other and, since thesespring seats are directly connected to the rivets 6| and 62 forming theouter pivots of the toggle joint 51-58, the inward pressure exerted bythe springs on these pivots will be resolved into a downward forceacting upon the center pivot 55 of the toggle joint. This pivot-55 isdirectly connected to the bearings 53 and 54 in which the .shaft 5| lofthe upper roll 52 is mounted and afadvantage of the spring against therolls is progressively decreased.r Thus, the structure illustratedprovides an increasing spring pressure operating through a linkage ofdecreasing mechanical advantage with the net 'result that the pressureeffective between the wringer rolls -remains substantially constantuntil the rolls are separated a distance greater than the maximumthickness of clothes intended to be passed through the machine.

In the event of an emergency, however, as, for example, in case theoperator should accidently allow her arm to be caught in the bite of thero-lls, the rolls will be forced apart a distance considerably greaterthan the maximum thickness of clothes intended to be passed through themachine and will cause the rolls 32 and 52 to separate sufficiently sothat the center pivot 55 of the toggle joint 51--58 will move upwardlyacross the center line defined by the two end pivots 6| and 62. It willbe obvious that as soon as the center pivot 55 passes Y the dead centerposition established between the end pivots, the force vof the coiledpressure springs 95 and 96 will be reversed in direction and will forcethe upper roll 52 upwardly into extreme spaced relationship with thelower roll 32 (see Fig. 4). This active separation of the upper andlower rolls moves these rolls into an extreme spaced relationship sothat the operator may remove her arm without diiiculty or danger offurther injury. It is, of course, desirable to limit the upward movementof Ithe roll 52 and to this end the slots 56 may be limited in length,or

treme spaced relationship with each other.

Further, these functions have been accomplished without any increase ofoperating pressure between the rolls at any time.

To return the rolls 52 and 32 into engaged position, the operator mayactuate the release handle 86, which will operate to unlatch the resetlever 14. The reset lever 14 may then be swung downwardly to rock thereset shaft 68 and move the anchor studs 69 upwardly through aboutone-half of a revolution of movement about the shaft 68. This movementwill raise the spring supporting arms 63 and 64 sulciently to cause theend pivots 6I and 62 to rise to a point higher than the center pivot 55,which is limited by the upper ends of the slots 56. When these endpivots 6| and 62 pass the center pivot 55, the toggle joint 51-58 willagain reverse in direction sothat the pressure springs will snap theroll 52 downwardly until the spring seats 9| and 92 engage. The operatormay then return the reset lever 14 to its vertical latched position todraw the anchor studs 69 downwardly into 4the original position shown inthe drawings in which the rolls 52 and 32 will again be in cooperatingpressure engagement.

While I have shown and described the present preferred embodiment ofthis invention, I am s aware that it is capable of numerousmodifications without departing from the invention spirit, and I,therefore, do not wish to be limited except as by the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

l. In a wringer including a frame and a plurality of pressure rolls, a.reversible pressure mechanism comprising coiled? pressure spring meansfor applying wringing pressure between said rolls adapted to act in adirection normal to the direction of lateral roll movement and atoggle-joint at each opposite end portion of one roll and having endpivots urged toward each other by said spring means and a center pivotoperatively connected to one of said rolls and constructed and arrangedto assume a position on either side of a center line defined by the endpivots, and adapted to alternatively .urge said rolls into pressureengagement during the normal operation of the wringer and to beeffective to actively withdraw said rolls into extreme spacedrelationship whenever said toggle-joints are moved across center.

2. In a wringer including a frame and a plurality of pressure rolls, areversible` pressure mechanism comprising coiled pressure spring meansfor applying wringing pressure between said rolls adapted to actin adirection normal to the direction of lateral roll movement, togglejoints to urge said rolls into pressure engagement during the normaloperation of the wringer and constructed and arranged to assume aposition on either side of a dead-center position, to be effective toactively withdraw said rolls into extreme spaced relationship wheneversaid toggle joints are movedr across center, and arresting means tolimit the spacing of said rolls.

3. In a wringer including a frame and a plurality of `pressure rolls, areversible pressure mechanism comprising coiled pressure spring meansfor applying wringing pressure between said rolls adapted to act in adirection normal to the direction of lateral roll movement, and toggleJoints to urge said rolls into pressure engagement during the normaloperation of the wringer and constructed and arranged to assume aposition on either side of a dead-center position, to be effective toactively withdraw said rolls into extreme spaced relationship wheneversaid toggle joints are moved across center.

4. In a wringer including a frame, and a plurality of pressure rollsIone of said rolls being a movable roll, a toggle joint associated witheach end of said roll, spring means for applying wringing pressurebetween said rolls through said toggle joints, an operative connectionbetween the toggle `iolnt and said movable roll, pivotally mountedsupporting members for said toggle joint, anchor means for saidsupporting membersI means mounting said supporting members for relativemotion to provide for reversing action of the toggle joints in responseto the spring means, and manually operable means to shift the positiono! said anchor means including a quick-acting hand lever.

5. In a wringer, the combination of a frame, a pair of coacting wringingpressure rolls, and means mounting said rolls inthe frame for turningmovement about parallel axes arranged substantially in a vertical planeand for movement ot said rolls in said plane toward and from each other,spring means, and means for applying pressure from said spring means tosaid movable roll to apply pressure from said movable roll to the otherroll, said pressure applying means comprising a pair of links pivotedtogether at each end portion oi the movable roll with said pivotconnected with the mounting means of said roll, the opposite ends ofsaid links being free to turn about said pivot to points above and belowthe same, said opposite ends being connected with the spring means.

6. In a wringer, the combination of a frame, a pair of coacting wringingpressure rolls, means mounting said rolls in the frame for turningmovement about parallel axes and for movement of one of said rollstoward and from the other, a pair of links at each end of the movableroll having a pivot connecting the same together and with the mountingmeans for the movable roll, said links being free for swinging movementto positions above and below said pivot, and resilient means connectedwith said links at points spaced from said pivot.

7. In a wringer, the combination of a frame, a pair of Vcoactingwringing pressure rolls, means mounting said rolls in the frame forturning movement about parallel axes and for movement of one of saidrolls toward and from the other, a, pair of links at each end of themovable roll having a pivot connecting the same together and with themounting means for the movable roll, said links being free for swingingmovement to positions above and below said pivot, levers pivotallyconnected with the outer end portions of said links, and spring meansacting on said levers tending to hold the links in one position relativeto the mst-mentioned pivot.

` NICHOLAS L. ETTEN.

